African Conference Rejects An OPEC for the Ivory Trade

Reuters

Published: June 18, 1989

KAMPALA, Uganda, June 17—
An African environment conference rejected a call today for an OPEC-type system to control supplies of ivory as an alternative to a global trading ban. Efforts for an ivory ban have won support from the United States, the European Community and Japan. The Soviet Union said it is considering support for a ban.

A paper to the conference, requesting that African governments consider an OPEC-type marketing system to regulate supplies of wildlife products, said a ban on the ivory trade would not necessarily stamp out the poaching of elephants for their tusks.